An 18-year-old Japanese high school student has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder his uncle by poisoning his miso soup with extracts from the deadly oleander plant. The incident occurred around midday on July 17 in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture.
The teenager allegedly chopped up and mixed oleander leaves into his uncle's food. The uncle noticed an unusual taste and spat it out immediately, then sought medical attention. He suffered only minor symptoms and survived.
According to reports, the motivation for the attempted poisoning was the uncle's loud snoring. During questioning, the student admitted, 'I couldn't stand his snoring anymore, so I decided to kill him.'
Earlier the same day, the teenager was arrested at JR Chiba Station for assaulting two women with a 24-centimetre hammer in a ladies' lavatory. The victims, in their 40s and 50s, did not sustain serious injuries. The student allegedly told investigators, 'I wanted to target a weaker woman—anyone would do—and hurt them.'
Police are continuing their investigation into the series of incidents. Prosecutors are considering formal charges of attempted murder against the teenager, who remains in custody.
